Four-Year-Old Hits the Bottle, Hard

A four-year-old boy in San Diego got more than a taste of the strong stuff early, landing him in the hospital. Alex and his five-month-old brother were being looked after, while their mother was out, by her 22-year-old boyfriend. But when the boyfriend left the room, Alex grabbed for the vodka-and-Squirt cocktail that he'd left unattended on the table—and downed it. By the time his mom returned home, Alex was passed out and unresponsive, leading his mother to scream, according to a witness, "Why, why is he still here? Why? What's wrong?" (The mom was evidently referring to the fact that, while her son was out cold, her boyfriend hadn't had the presence of mind to rush him to the hospital.) Doctors later determined that Alex's blood-alcohol content had been .23%, nearly three times an adult's legal limit—much less a child. (Reportedly, having a BAC that high is the equivalent of a 160-pound grown-up consuming 10 drinks.) Thankfully, Alex has fully recovered and is out of the hospital; the boyfriend is getting off scot-free.